1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wireless local area networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to monitoring a wireless local area network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers have traditionally communicated with each other through wired local area networks (“LANs”). However, with the increased demand for mobile computers such as laptops, personal digital assistants, and the like, wireless local area networks (“WLANs”) have developed as a way for computers to communicate with each other through transmissions over a wireless medium using radio signals, infrared signals, and the like.
In order to promote interoperability of WLANs with each other and with wired LANs, the IEEE 802.11 standard was developed as an international standard for WLANs. Generally, the IEEE 802.11 standard was designed to present users with the same interface as an IEEE 802 wired LAN, while allowing data to be transported over a wireless medium.
In accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard, a station is authenticated and associated with an access point in the WLAN before obtaining service from the access point. The access point broadcasts beacon frames, which can include the service set identification (SSID) of the access point. However, in some instances, the AP is configured to suppress its SSID in the beacon frames, which prevents someone from determining the SSID of the AP from the beacon frames.